Collapsible dye tube

ABSTRACT

A tube for the treatment of yarn formed of a moldable material in a molding process such as by injection molding and which is resiliently compressible in both the axial and radial directions although it may take a permanent set under certain bath conditions, and which provides a suitable peripheral cylindrical surface for yarn wound thereon.

United States Patent 11 1 1111 3,756,532 Draper 1 Sept. 4, 1973 COLLAPSIBLE DYE TUBE 3,563,491 2/1971 l-lahm et al. 242 11s.11 [75] Inventor: Ralph M. Draper, Elnora, N.Y.

Primary Examiner-George F. Mautz I Asslgnw Albany International Corp" Albany, Att0meyDavid s. Kane, Daniel 11. Kane, Philip "L N.Y. Dalsimer, Joseph C. Sullivan, John Kurucz, James J. 22 Filed: Aug 1 1971 Salerno, .112, Martin E. Goldstein, Charles R. Hoffmann, Gerald Levy, Charles P. Bauer and Peter C. Van [21] Appl. No.: 172,634 sluys [52] US. Cl. 242/118. 57 ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl B65h 75/22, B65h 75/10 [58] Field of Search 242/1 18.1 1, 118.1, A the i Yam a 'FQ' P' 242/118 2 68/198 189 matenal m a moldmg process such as by 1n ect1on molding and which is resiliently compressible in both CM L'L'i$iil.?iifih"lifi 1123312311211.5 23 UNITED STATES PATENTS which provides a suitable peripheral cylindrical surface 3,471,102 10/1969 lnouye-et al. 242/118.11 for yam wound thereor- 3,561,696 2/1971 Hahm ..L 242/1 18.11 3,561,697 2/1971 Egyptien 242/ l 18.11 8 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEDSEP 4:915

SHEET 1 0F 3 INVENTOR. RAMP/7 f7. DRAPII? COLLAPSIBLE DYE TUBE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the treatment of thread and yarn it is frequently desirable to wind the thread or yarn about a tube. When the treatment is a wet treatment such as a dyeing operation, the tube with the yarn wound thereon is then submerged in a bath. Many advantages have been found in the utilization of such a tube which can undergo radial collapse. In certain applications axial collapse is desirable and frequently both radial and axial collapsing or compression is required. Such collapse capability has been satisfactorily achieved in metal tubes. Metal tubes, however, are expensive to manufacture. A suitable disposable tube formed of a moldable material such as plastic which can be readily molded by conventionaltechniques such as injection molding techniques is desirable from an economical point of view.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION and counterclockwise rotation resisting forces between the serpentine ring and the end rings.

In that application the structural members include a plurality of first, second, third, fourth and fifth like elongated peripheral members each of which forms an angle with the planes of the end rings, and in which a first end of each of the first members abuts one of the second members remote from the ends thereof, a second end of each of the first members abuts one of the third members remote from the ends thereof and the fourth and fifth members about the first structural member at spaced locations remote from the ends thereof and on opposite sides thereof.

In another co-pending application Ser. No. 172,966 in which I am the named inventor entitled Collapsible Dye Tube and which was filed in the United States Patent Office on Aug; 19, 1971 there is shown and described a tube for the treatment of yarn which is resiliently compressible in both the axial and radial directions providing a suitable peripheral cylindrical surface for yarn wound thereon which tube comprises parallel end rings, a plurality of first, second, third, fourth and fifth pairs of peripheral parallel spaced elongated structural members disposed between the end rings with each of the pairs forming an angle with the planes of the end rings, first ends of the members of the first pair abut a member of the second pair remote from the ends thereof, second ends of the members of the first pair abut a member of the third pair remote from the ends thereof, with the fourth pair abutting'one'memberof the first pair at spaced locations remote from the ends thereof and on the same side thereof and with the fifth pair abutting the remaining member of the first pair at spaced locations remote from the ends thereof and on the same side thereof.

In the present application there is provided a tube for the treatment of yarn which is resiliently compressible in both the axial and radial directions and which provides a suitable peripheral cylindrical surface for yarn wound thereon which comprises parallel end rings, a plurality of first, second, third, fourth and fifth pairs of peripheral parallel spaced elongated structural members disposed between said end rings, each of the members of said first pair being perpendicular to the planes of said end rings, each of the members of the second, third, fourth and fifth pairs being parallel to the planes ef the end rings, first ends of the members of the first pair abutting a member of the second pair remote from the ends thereof, second ends of the members of the first pair abutting a member of the third pair remote from the ends thereof, with the fourth pair abutting one member of the first pair at spaced locations remote from the ends thereof and on the same side thereof and with the fifth pair abutting the remaining member of the first pair at spaced locations remote from the ends thereof and on the same side thereof.

The expression resiliently compressible" is used herein to indicate that in the absence of actual bath conditions and when exposed to ambient temperature and pressures alone, the tube, upon release of compressive forces, will return to its original shape whereas under bath conditions it may take a permanent set under compression.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a tube formed in accordance with the teachings of this invention vertically disposed and' in the non-compressed condition;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 2-2 in the direction of the arrows in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in the direction of the arrows in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view of one half of the tube shown in FIG. 1 split and laid onto a plane with portions thereof shown in solid lines and portions thereof shown in broken lines in order to facilitate understanding of the functional aspects of the tube during compression;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of an alternate embodiment of a tube formed in accordance with the teachings of this invention vertically disposed and in the noncompressed condition;

FIG. 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 66 in the direction of the arrows in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 77 in the direction of the arrows in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic view of one half of the tube shown in FIG. 5 split and laid onto a plane with portions thereof shown in solid lines and portions thereof shown in broken lines in order to facilitate understanding of the functional aspects of the tube during compression.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS merals l2, l3, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 joining the end rings and diagonal bridging members. Each of the structural members is elongated and can have any cross section desired. The elongated structural members are disposed with some parallel to the plane of the end rings and others perpendicular to the plane of the end rings. The diagonal bridging members are arranged within certain of the rectangles. In FIG. 1 the rectangle 12 has long sides 12a and 1217 which are perpendicular to the planes of the end rings and which provide a pair of peripheral parallel spaced elongated structural members. Likewise, rectangle 13 is formed of long members 13a and 13b and rectangle 14 is formed of long side members 14a and 14b.

Rectangle 15 is formed on its long sides with members 15a and 15b which are parallel to the planes of the end rings and 11. These members also provide a pair of peripheral parallel spaced elongated structural members. By way of example, the long sides of rectangle 17 are designated 17a and 17b, the long sides of rectangle 18 are designated 18a and 18b and the long sides of rectangle 16 are designated 16a and 16b.

For a reason which will appear below, diagonal bridging members 19, 20, 21 and 22 are provided within rectangles l5, 16, 17 and 18 respectively. In the FIGS. 1 thru 4 members 13a and 13b provide a pair of peripheral parallel spaced elongated structural members which are perpendicular to the planes of the end rings. These provide a first pair having its first or upper ends abutting member b of a second pair remote from the ends thereof. The remaining or second ends of the members of the first pair abut member 16a of the third pair remote from the ends thereof. Members 17a and 17b provide a fourth pair which abut member 13a of the first pair at spaced locations remote from the ends thereof and on the same side thereof and members 18a and 18b provide a fifth pair which abut the remaining member of the first pair-member l3b--at spaced locations remote from the ends thereof and on the same side thereof.

It is noted that an abutting surface is defined on each of the respective structural members at the abutment of a structural member therewith and each of the respective members is unsupported by a structural member directly opposite the abutting surface. Hence, for example, the ends of members 13a and 13b define abutting surfaces on member 15b at their points of abutment therewith and member 15b is unsupported by a structuralmember directly opposite these abutting surfaces. This repeated throughout the pattern established by the five pairs discussed above.

In the description given above, the pair comprised of members 13a and 13b which are perpendicular to the planes of the end rings is considered the first pair. If, however, the members 15a and 15b, which are parallel to the planes of the end rings, are considered the first pair, then the first or left ends of members 1511 and 15b abut member 23b of a second pair comprised of members 23a and 23b while the second ends of the members 15a and 15b abut member 24a of the pair comprised of members 24a and 24b which would be the third pair. The fourth and fifth pairs would be formed respectively of members 12a and 12b and members 13a and 13b which would abut respective members of the first pair at spaced locations remote from the ends thereof and on the same side thereof. In FIG. 4 certain of the structural members are shown in solid lines and certain in broken lines to illustrate the action of the members in the first embodiment; that is, in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 thru 4 upon the application of force.

Upon the application of force in the axial direction, members 16a and 16b are bowed arcuately inwardly toward one another by the force applied by structural members 14a and 14b, 13a and 13b. Likewise, members 15a and 15b are bowed inwardly by the force applied by members l2a, 12b, 13a and 13b.

When force is applied in the radial direction, members 13a and 13b for example are bowed inwardly arcuately toward each other by the force applied through members 17a, 17b, 18a and 18b.

Likewise, members 12a, 12b and 14a and 14b will move to assume a bowed or arcuate configuration upon the application of radial force.

In the embodiment described there is shown a diagonally disposed bridging member in each of the rectangles having long sides parallel to the plane of the end rings. The dye tube, which is the subject of this invention, is designed primarily to be utilized with yarn wound helically around the surface thereof. In the absence of the diagonal bridging members between the pairs formed of the horizontal or structural members which are parallel to the planes of the end rings, there is a danger that the yarn might not be supported peripherally but rather might span the distance for example between members 23b and 240 between members 15a and 15b in a straight line which would result in a different path in that zone than the yarn spanning members 23b and 24a in the zone whereat it will embrace members 12a and 12b as well.

In FIGS. 5 thru 8 an alternate form of the invention is shown wherein parts identical to parts shown in FIGS. 1 thru 4 are given the same numeral designation which was given in those Figs, however, with a prime following the numeral. The configuration of FIG. 5 differs from that of FIG. 1 only in that in FIG. 5 the elements in both the horizontal pairs and the vertical pairs are spaced an equal amount whereas in the embodiment of FIG. 1 the elements of the horizontal pairs were spaced at a greater distance than the elements of the vertical pairs with the elements of the vertical pairs being longer than the elements of the horizontal pairs. In addition, the cross or diagonal members bridging the gap between the elements in the horizontal pairs are shorter in the FIG. 5 embodiment and plurality of such bridging members is shown between each element of a pair whereas in FIG. 1 a single diagonal was provided between the elements of each horizontal pair. Hence, in FIG. 5 the members l2'a and 12'b form a pair perpendicular to the plane of the end rings 10 and 1 1', the members 13'a and 13'b form a pair perpendicular to the plane of the end rings and members l4a and 14'b fonn a pair perpendicular to the plane of the end rings. Additionally, members 15 'a and 15b form a pair parallel to the plane of the end rings 10 and 11' as do members l6a, l6'b, 17'a, 17b, 18'a and 18'b. In this embodiment it is seen that in each of the pairs whether they be horizontally aligned or vertically aligned, the spacing between the members thereof is the same.

In the embodiment disclosed in FIGS. 1 thru 4 a diagonal bridging member was disposed between the members forming horizontal pairs in order to maintain the yarn peripherally on the tube. In the embodiment disclosed in FIGS. 5 thru 8 the members of each horizontal pair are joined by three members which form angles with the planes of the end rings plus in the Figs. the

members 30, 31 and 32 join the horizontal members l5'a and l5'b by way of example.

The action of the members in the FIG. 5 embodiment, upon application of axial and/or radial force, is illustrated in FIG. 8 which Fig. is comparable to FIG. 4 wherein certain of the elements by way of example are shown in broken lines illustrating the position taken by these elements upon the application of force.

In molding, certain of the structural bridging members can be constructed with greater cross sectional areas than others to provide increased resistance to compression and bending at particular locations.

I claim:

1. A tube for the treatment of yarn which is resiliently compressible in both the axial and radial directions and which provides a suitable cylindrical surface for yearn wound thereon comprising, parallel end rings, a plurality of first, second, third, fourth and fifth pairs of peripheral parallel spaced elongated structural members disposed between said end rings, each of the members of said first pair being perpendicular to the plane of said end rings with each of the members of said second, third, fourth and fifth pairs being parallel to the planes of said end rings, first ends of the members of said first pair abutting a member of said second pair on the same side thereof and remote from the ends thereof, second ends of the members of said first pair abutting a member of said third pair on the same side thereof and remote from the ends thereof, said fourth pair abutting a member of said first pair remote from the ends thereof and on the same side thereof, said fifth pair abutting the remaining member of said first pair remote from the ends thereof and on the same side thereof, an'abutting surface defined on each of said respective members at the abutment of a structural member therewith and each of said respective members being unsupported by a structural member directly opposite said abutting surface.

2. A tube for the treatment of yarn in accordance with claim 1 in which said fourth and fifth pairs abut said first pair on opposite sides thereof.

3. A tube for the treatment of yarn in accordance with claim 1 in which a structural member forming an angle with the planes of said end rings is attached to at least one member of each of said second, third, fourth and fifth pairs.

4. A tube for the treatment of yarn in accordance with claim 1 in which a plurality of structural members, each of which fonns an angle with the planes of said end rings, joins the respective members of each of said second, third, fourth and fifth pairs.

5. A tube for the treatment of yarn which is resiliently compressible in both the axial and radial directions and which provides a suitable cylindrical surface for yarn wound thereon comprising, parallel end rings, a plurality of first, second, third, fourth and fifth pairs of peripheral spaced elongated structural members disposed between said end rings, each of the structural members of said first pair being in a plane parallel to the planes of said end rings and each of the structural members of said second, third, fourth and fifth planes being perpendicular to the plane of said end rings, first ends of the members of said first pair abutting a member of said second pair on the same side thereof and remote from the ends thereof, second ends of the members of said first pair abutting a member of said third pair on the same side thereof and remote from the ends thereof, said fourth pair abutting a member of said first pair remote from the ends thereof and on the same side thereof, said fifth pair abutting the remaining member of said first pair remote from the endsthereof and on the same side thereof, an abutting surface defined on each of said respective members at the abutment of a structural member therewith and each of said respective members being unsupported by a structural member directly opposite said abutting surface.

6. A tube for the treatment of .yarn in accordance with claim 5 in which said fourth and fifth pairs abut said first pair on opposite sides thereof.

7. A tube for the treatment of yarn in accordance with claim 5 in which a structural member forming an angle with the planes of said end rings is attached to at least one member of said first pair.

8. A tube for the treatment of yarn in accordance with claim 5 in which a plurality of structural members, each of which forms an angle with the planes of said end rings, joins the members of said first pair.

i t it 

1. A tube for the treatment of yarn which is resiliently compressible in both the aXial and radial directions and which provides a suitable cylindrical surface for yearn wound thereon comprising, parallel end rings, a plurality of first, second, third, fourth and fifth pairs of peripheral parallel spaced elongated structural members disposed between said end rings, each of the members of said first pair being perpendicular to the plane of said end rings with each of the members of said second, third, fourth and fifth pairs being parallel to the planes of said end rings, first ends of the members of said first pair abutting a member of said second pair on the same side thereof and remote from the ends thereof, second ends of the members of said first pair abutting a member of said third pair on the same side thereof and remote from the ends thereof, said fourth pair abutting a member of said first pair remote from the ends thereof and on the same side thereof, said fifth pair abutting the remaining member of said first pair remote from the ends thereof and on the same side thereof, an abutting surface defined on each of said respective members at the abutment of a structural member therewith and each of said respective members being unsupported by a structural member directly opposite said abutting surface.
 2. A tube for the treatment of yarn in accordance with claim 1 in which said fourth and fifth pairs abut said first pair on opposite sides thereof.
 3. A tube for the treatment of yarn in accordance with claim 1 in which a structural member forming an angle with the planes of said end rings is attached to at least one member of each of said second, third, fourth and fifth pairs.
 4. A tube for the treatment of yarn in accordance with claim 1 in which a plurality of structural members, each of which forms an angle with the planes of said end rings, joins the respective members of each of said second, third, fourth and fifth pairs.
 5. A tube for the treatment of yarn which is resiliently compressible in both the axial and radial directions and which provides a suitable cylindrical surface for yarn wound thereon comprising, parallel end rings, a plurality of first, second, third, fourth and fifth pairs of peripheral spaced elongated structural members disposed between said end rings, each of the structural members of said first pair being in a plane parallel to the planes of said end rings and each of the structural members of said second, third, fourth and fifth planes being perpendicular to the plane of said end rings, first ends of the members of said first pair abutting a member of said second pair on the same side thereof and remote from the ends thereof, second ends of the members of said first pair abutting a member of said third pair on the same side thereof and remote from the ends thereof, said fourth pair abutting a member of said first pair remote from the ends thereof and on the same side thereof, said fifth pair abutting the remaining member of said first pair remote from the ends thereof and on the same side thereof, an abutting surface defined on each of said respective members at the abutment of a structural member therewith and each of said respective members being unsupported by a structural member directly opposite said abutting surface.
 6. A tube for the treatment of yarn in accordance with claim 5 in which said fourth and fifth pairs abut said first pair on opposite sides thereof.
 7. A tube for the treatment of yarn in accordance with claim 5 in which a structural member forming an angle with the planes of said end rings is attached to at least one member of said first pair.
 8. A tube for the treatment of yarn in accordance with claim 5 in which a plurality of structural members, each of which forms an angle with the planes of said end rings, joins the members of said first pair. 